BIOMAT Database Logo BIOMAT Database Logo

The effect of gravity on the resting position of the cat's eye. 1993

L R Harris, and H C Goltz, and M J Steinbach
Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

We measured rotation (horizontal, vertical and torisonal) and translation (horizontal and vertical) of the paralysed cat's eye in response to 45 degrees steps of orientation presented in a pseudorandom order around the roll and pitch axes (with respect to the horizontal canals). During changes of position of the animal in the roll plane, the eyes rotated towards the lowest part of the orbit (left with left ear down; top when the cat was upside down, etc.) by an average of 0.55 degree. Changing orientation in the pitch plane evoked vertical rotations of +/- 1.42 degrees (upwards eye movement during forwards head pitch) and torsional rotations of +/- 1.3 degrees. All these rotations taken together suggest that the centre of mass is in front of, below and temporal to the centre of rotation. The eyes translated temporally (thus separating by 0.72 mm) during forward pitching and there was a small vertical displacement (0.23 mm) when the animal was upside down. These findings are discussed with respect to a possible role of the extraocular proprioception system.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009799 Ocular Physiological Phenomena Processes and properties of the EYE as a whole or of any of its parts. Ocular Physiologic Processes,Ocular Physiological Processes,Ocular Physiology,Eye Physiology,Ocular Physiologic Process,Ocular Physiological Concepts,Ocular Physiological Phenomenon,Ocular Physiological Process,Physiology of the Eye,Physiology, Ocular,Visual Physiology,Concept, Ocular Physiological,Concepts, Ocular Physiological,Ocular Physiological Concept,Phenomena, Ocular Physiological,Phenomenon, Ocular Physiological,Physiologic Process, Ocular,Physiologic Processes, Ocular,Physiological Concept, Ocular,Physiological Concepts, Ocular,Physiological Process, Ocular,Physiological Processes, Ocular,Physiology, Eye,Physiology, Visual,Process, Ocular Physiologic,Process, Ocular Physiological,Processes, Ocular Physiologic,Processes, Ocular Physiological
D009949 Orientation Awareness of oneself in relation to time, place and person. Cognitive Orientation,Mental Orientation,Psychological Orientation,Cognitive Orientations,Mental Orientations,Orientation, Cognitive,Orientation, Mental,Orientation, Psychological,Orientations,Orientations, Cognitive,Orientations, Mental,Orientations, Psychological,Psychological Orientations
D010243 Paralysis A general term most often used to describe severe or complete loss of muscle strength due to motor system disease from the level of the cerebral cortex to the muscle fiber. This term may also occasionally refer to a loss of sensory function. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p45) Palsy,Plegia,Todd Paralysis,Todd's Paralysis,Palsies,Paralyses,Paralysis, Todd,Paralysis, Todd's,Plegias,Todds Paralysis
D011187 Posture The position or physical attitude of the body. Postures
D011434 Proprioception Sensory functions that transduce stimuli received by proprioceptive receptors in joints, tendons, muscles, and the INNER EAR into neural impulses to be transmitted to the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. Proprioception provides sense of stationary positions and movements of one's body parts, and is important in maintaining KINESTHESIA and POSTURAL BALANCE. Labyrinthine Sense,Position Sense,Posture Sense,Sense of Equilibrium,Vestibular Sense,Sense of Position,Equilibrium Sense,Sense, Labyrinthine,Sense, Position,Sense, Posture,Sense, Vestibular
D002415 Cats The domestic cat, Felis catus, of the carnivore family FELIDAE, comprising over 30 different breeds. The domestic cat is descended primarily from the wild cat of Africa and extreme southwestern Asia. Though probably present in towns in Palestine as long ago as 7000 years, actual domestication occurred in Egypt about 4000 years ago. (From Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th ed, p801) Felis catus,Felis domesticus,Domestic Cats,Felis domestica,Felis sylvestris catus,Cat,Cat, Domestic,Cats, Domestic,Domestic Cat
D005123 Eye The organ of sight constituting a pair of globular organs made up of a three-layered roughly spherical structure specialized for receiving and responding to light. Eyes
D005133 Eye Movements Voluntary or reflex-controlled movements of the eye. Eye Movement,Movement, Eye,Movements, Eye
D005260 Female Females
D006112 Gravitation Acceleration produced by the mutual attraction of two masses, and of magnitude inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the two centers of mass. It is also the force imparted by the earth, moon, or a planet to an object near its surface. (From NASA Thesaurus, 1988) G Force,Gravistimulation,Gravity,Force, G,G Forces,Gravities

Related Publications

L R Harris, and H C Goltz, and M J Steinbach
Effect of gravity on vertical eye position.
May 2009, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences,
L R Harris, and H C Goltz, and M J Steinbach
[Effect of head and eye inclination on the resting position of the vergence system].
January 1988, Zeitschrift fur experimentelle und angewandte Psychologie,
L R Harris, and H C Goltz, and M J Steinbach
Effect of hip position on gravity effect torque.
February 1994, Medicine and science in sports and exercise,
L R Harris, and H C Goltz, and M J Steinbach
Effect of parasympathetic stimulation on the anterior segment of the cat's eye.
January 1959, Transactions - American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology. American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology,
L R Harris, and H C Goltz, and M J Steinbach
The Effect of Zero Gravity on Eyelid and Brow Position.
January 2021, Ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery,
L R Harris, and H C Goltz, and M J Steinbach
Effect of position on the resting and postexercise phonocardiogram.
May 1972, Chest,
L R Harris, and H C Goltz, and M J Steinbach
The effect of gravity on the stability of human eye orientation.
December 2003, Auris, nasus, larynx,
L R Harris, and H C Goltz, and M J Steinbach
Cat's-eye stone.
March 2013, Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association,
L R Harris, and H C Goltz, and M J Steinbach
Topography of eye-position sensitivity of saccades evoked electrically from the cat's superior colliculus.
March 1990, Visual neuroscience,
L R Harris, and H C Goltz, and M J Steinbach
The effect of eye position on auditory lateralization.
March 1996, Experimental brain research,
Copied contents to your clipboard!